One in a Million by Susan Mallery Page A

one.
    If only, she thought. If only Marty had been more willing to be a grown-up instead of an overgrown child. If only she'd seen the truth earlier. Except then she wouldn't have her boys, and she loved them more than anything.
    “Stephanie?"
    “ Huh?" She glanced up and saw him watching her.
    “ Are you all right? You got pretty quiet.”
    “Sorry. Just thinking." He rose and crossed to the island. "About your late husband?"
    “ Yes, but not in the way you think." She didn't want Nash to worry that he'd made her miss Marty.
    “Was it being out with me? The whole 'meet the family' circus?"
    “ No. That was great. I really enjoyed tonight." She tried to smile, but he was standing only a couple of feet of counter space away and his intense, dark stare took her breath away. She cleared her throat. "I don't get out that much."
    “ With three boys and your own business, you probably don't have time to date much."
    “ Date?" She laughed. "Like that ever happens." ''Why doesn't it?"
    “Good question." She dumped the dry ingredients into the batter and began to stir. As the mixture thickened, she had to really push to get the wooden spoon through.
    “ I'll do that," he said, stepping around the island and moving next to her.
    Before she realized what was happening, he'd taken the spoon from her and was making quick work of the mixing. She blinked in surprise.
    “Why do you do that?" she asked. "Why are you always so happy to help?"
    “Why not?" She didn't have an answer she was willing to share. Telling him she'd long ago learned not to de pend on anyone made her sound pathetic.
    “ Do these go in next?" he asked, nodding toward the open bag of chocolate chips.
    “ Yes." She dumped the chips into the batter. "So why don't you date?" She stared at the swirling mixture, rather than risk looking at him. Dangerous, dangerous question. "I just...there aren't many men interested and I don't seem to meet any."
    “Interested men?"
    “Any men."
    “So it's not that you're not interested."
    “ I—" The questions were going from bad to worse. Interested? Was she? Not in love. She'd learned that lesson in spades. But in a good man? Someone who would be fun and funny and caring? Someone who would hold her and ease the trem bling ache deep inside?
    “ I could be interested," she admitted softly. "Good." He dropped the wooden spoon into the bowl and turned toward her. Before she realized what was happening, before she could catch her breath or even consider if this was as crazy as it seemed, he’d pulled her into his arms. Just like that. She was pressed up against his hard, masculine body and then his face was getting closer and she knew he was going to kiss her.
    Stephanie's last rational thought was that it had been twelve years since a man other than Marty had kissed her and that there was a more than even chance she'd completely forgotten what to do.
    Then Nash claimed her mouth in a warm, tender, erotic kiss that made her heart freeze in midbeat and her brain completely shut down. There wasn't any thinking, there was only feeling. Feeling and doing.
    He pressed his lips against hers with just enough pressure to make her want more. Strong, large hands settled on her back. She felt his fingers, the heat of his palms, the brush of his thighs against her own. His scent surrounded her, enticed her, made her legs weak and her muscles slack. She had to wrap her arms around his neck to stay standing.
    Then his mouth moved against her. Slowly, discovering, teasing. He brushed his tongue against her lower lip. She had no will and parted instantly. Ex citement raced through her. The sound of her breathing filled her head. She wanted with a des peration that should have terrified her, but instead only made her reckless. She wanted deep, hot kisses and wild abandon. She wanted his hands every where. She wanted to touch and be touched, to be wet, to be filled. She wanted to lose herself in an orgasm that would shake the very fabric of